Surface mount fuse

Abstract

A surface mount fuse including a fuse body having a base including a floor and a plurality of adjoining sidewalls defining an interior cavity, wherein top edges of the sidewalls define a recessed shoulder bordering the interior cavity, and a cover including a main body disposed on the recessed shoulder and enclosing the interior cavity, first and second terminals extending through opposing sidewalls of the base, the first and second terminals extending around the opposing sidewalls and the cover and disposed in abutment therewith to secure the cover to the base, and a fusible element extending through the interior cavity and connected to the first and second terminals.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A surface mount fuse comprising:
 a fuse body comprising:
 a base including a floor and a plurality of adjoining sidewalls defining an interior cavity, wherein top edges of the sidewalls define a recessed shoulder bordering the interior cavity; and 
 a cover including a main body disposed on the recessed shoulder and enclosing the interior cavity; 
 
 first and second terminals extending through opposing sidewalls of the base, the first and second terminals extending around the opposing sidewalls and the cover and disposed in abutment therewith; and 
 a fusible element extending through the interior cavity and connected to the first and second terminals, the fusible element including a bridge portion extending between first and second terminal portions, the first and second terminal portions disposed in flat engagement with the first and second terminals, respectively, the fusible element further including flanges extending from the bridge portion within the interior cavity, the flanges disposed on the recessed shoulder. 
 
     
     
       2. The surface mount fuse of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes flanges extending from longitudinal ends thereof, the flanges disposed within complementary notches formed in the top edges of the opposing sidewalls of the base. 
     
     
       3. The surface mount fuse of  claim 2 , wherein the fusible element extends out of the interior cavity through the notches. 
     
     
       4. The surface mount fuse of  claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the cover is coplanar with the top edges of the sidewalls of the base. 
     
     
       5. The surface mount fuse of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second terminals secure the cover to the base. 
     
     
       6. The surface mount fuse of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a plateau extending from a top surface thereof and defining an elevated surface, wherein ends of the first and second terminals abut edges of the plateau and wherein bottom surfaces of the first and second terminals are coplanar with the elevated surface. 
     
     
       7. The surface mount fuse of  claim 6 , wherein the top surface of the cover intersects edges of the plateau at acute angles therewith. 
     
     
       8. The surface mount fuse of  claim 7 , wherein the acute angles are in a range of 10 degrees to 15 degrees. 
     
     
       9. The surface mount fuse of  claim 1 , further comprising an arc quenching material disposed within the interior cavity.